ALBUM REVIEW: Tales – Night Crowned
Since the release of their debut full-length back in 2020, Sweden’s NIGHT CROWNED have acquired some serious momentum and they have been rightfully rewarded with some high profile support slots alongside the likes of ROTTING CHRIST, CYTOTOXIN and THE CROWN. Their releases have surfaced in quick succession and true to form their third album is now upon us in the form of Tales which is available now via Noble Demon. What do they have in store for us this time?
The intro to De Namnlösa serves up haunting 80s slasher vibes which are abruptly swept aside in favour of crushing blast beats and piercing screams that rarely let up for the duration. Glimmers of melody try their best to navigate through the carnage but for the most part they are banished to the periphery. She Comes At Night sustains this intensity with surging riff work and frenzied drum sequences. Fellow Swede Therese Thomsson lends her powerful pipes to proceedings by introducing some light into this predominantly dark soundscape. Nattramn storms off into the distance as the tempo escalates further. Caustic screams attack your senses as they slickly transition with the ghastly growling.
Loviatar cleverly intertwines English and Finnish lyrical passages to add an intriguing flavour to the piece. The diversity in arrangements doesn’t stop there, the track also keeps you guessing by swiftly switching between full-blown savagery and alluring melodic tones. Flickan Som Försvann continues the multilingual approach, sandwiching a Swedish narrative between vicious volleys of blackened fury and poignant folk elements. Strandvaskarens Hymn showcases enticing rhythmic hooks alongside the firmly entrenched brutality.
Lupus Luna has zero intention of giving drummer Janne Jaloma an instance of peace as the relentless waves of thunderous drum beats come thick and fast, often stealing the spotlight from the remaining instrumentation. Old Tales pairs razor sharp riffing with mesmerising piano work, saving one of the most exhilarating tracks until last, emphatically signing off with “We are NIGHT CROWNED damned to haunt this forsaken earth“.
The catchy hooks that crafted the backbone of Impius Viam seem to have sadly been completely discarded here, opting for blunt-force trauma in their place. Whilst it is impressive from the perspective of displaying your skillset, the tracks within Tales do tend to lose their individuality when each piece feels more focused on mangling your eardrums. It is without doubt that considerable thought and exploration have been poured into this effort, particularly in the lyrical department, but you shouldn’t have to feel like you need to wade through the bludgeoning to uncover it. To some, this may be considered an absolute triumph and everything they have been hoping for, but the ‘all extreme, all the time’ mentality may prove to be divisive.
Rating: 7/10
Tales is out now via Noble Demon.
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